Cardfight!! Vanguard: R

Episode Four: Wish You Were Here / Chapter 17

17 – Tomoko's Strength 

The patrons of Tokiomi's café began to pay their bills and leave, Taichi sweeping in to collect their plates and glasses, washing them frantically, every so often he'd check his watch or the clock in the kitchen area.

"Young master, please slow down" Tokiomi said placing down some more plates on the counter, "We've got another two hours yet. The suits upstairs, just let me know when you want your hair doing."

Taichi sighed heavily, "How many times have I told you, just call me Taichi"

"You said not to call you that in front of others, but as you can see we're all alone, so Young Master, I shall have to insist on referring to you as Young Master, Young Master."

"Grr-aargh!" Taichi growled "Look, alone or not, I want nothing to do with that man! The moment I turn eighteen I intend to cut all ties with him!"

"And yet" Tokiomi's eyes shifted to a fine leather suitcase that had been left on the small table in the kitchen, "You're using the money he's been sending you, and you're getting involved in his world, are you sure I can't talk you out of this?"

"No" Taichi answered firmly, "I made a promise to Yume that I'd help Kai deal with her problem, if that means putting myself in harms way, then so be it."

Tokiomi felt a sense of pride in Taichi's words, smiling he said "Seems like this girl has been a good influence on you, I don't remember you being so selfless."

Taichi pouted and retuned to washing the dishes. Tokiomi chortled and then vanished upstairs, Taichi could hear him scrambling around through the ceiling. He's probably lost something, Taichi thought. He dried the last of the plates and set it down on a stack in the cupboard. He removed the apron and hung it on a hook on the wall.

Ring-a-ling

"Sorry, but we're closing early to- " Taichi's words trailed off when he saw who had entered the store. Still dressed in her school uniform, and her freshly dyed rose-pink highlights still prominent in her platinum blonde hair. "Yume... what's up?"

"Nothing, just thought I'd check in on you, give you a report on my findings" she strolled past him and placed her face against the window on the counter, "maybe get some of that Cola Cake to go?" she was practically drooling over it.

Taichi chuckled and bagged up a piece for her. "So, about Katamari?"

"Sadly... there wasn't much to get from the Newspaper Club. He's a loner, gets them into trouble a lot, wastes a lot of materials for developing photos. But he hasn't been coming a lot lately, And I asked about what he said about the other clubs not liking us, turns out its not a club shared opinion."

Taichi pondered for a moment, rubbing his finger across his top lip "So this isn't a club attack, just him huh? Strange, I don't remember anything about him."

"Maybe... the club leader did mention that the staff have been concerned about our safety, could be that the teachers want us to shut down or move?"

"Then why not come to us directly?" Taichi leaned over the counter, "This Katamari guy has a history of causing trouble for his own club, but we've never interacted with him as far as I know. He didn't spy on anyone in the club, but rather someone close to us and used their secret as the blackmail knowing we'd react to it... someone else... there's got to be someone else behind this."

"But who?"

"I'll think on it, we didn't tend to make enemies, except maybe for Fukue High's Vanguard club, but I doubt they'd stoop to this level, Other than this... no, there's no one. Did the club leader mention anything else?"